Argentina captain Lionel Messi has announced that he will no longer play international football, bringing his career with the national team to an end.
Messi, 39, said the decision was painful but that he believes the time has come to step away from Argentina duty. He made the announcement on Monday, following weeks of uncertainty over his international future.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner leaves the national team as Argentina’s record scorer and most-capped player. He has represented the country 207 times and scored 125 goals during his international career.
Messi’s biggest achievement with Argentina came at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, finally winning the major international trophy that had eluded him throughout his career.
In a statement, Messi said he had given everything he could to the national team and felt he had reached a point where there was little more he could contribute.
He also pointed to the emergence of younger players in Argentina’s squad, saying they deserve opportunities to establish themselves at international level.
Messi revealed that he had prepared his retirement message on July 21, two days after Argentina’s defeat by Spain in the World Cup final.
His decision was also influenced by the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died aged 68 after a prolonged illness. Messi had spoken in August about reassessing his future following his father’s death.
Writing on Instagram on Monday, Messi said the loss had strengthened his belief that stepping away from international football was the right decision.
Although his international career is coming to an end, Messi will continue playing professional football at club level. He remains with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami in the United States.
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